Give your Roots Room to Grow- The Benefit of Aeration
Quite simply, aeration is adding in small holes throughout your landscape. This strange-looking technique is the key to healthy root growth. Why? Soil over time can be extremely compacted. In addition, thatch (thick clumps of dead grass) can grow restricting the opportunity for strong, resilient roots to develop.
The simple act of aeration infuses your landscape with oxygen, water, and nutrients providing the perfect template for both new and existing grass to grow.
Break up the Soil and Turf
For highly compacted soil, aeration should be on your “must do” list to achieve that healthy lawn. This process will loosen up the soil making it easier for water and nutrients to get to the roots of your lawn. Failing to do so can make your lawn more prone to pests and other diseases.
If you’re planning to self-aerate your lawn-don’t worry. The process is fairly simple. All that you will need is an aeration tool (which you can buy or rent from your local gardening centre) and patience. Yes, patience, especially if you have a larger property. Don’t cheat yourself by aerating only the highly compacted areas. Instead, invest the time and make sure that the entire property gets the benefit of aeration.
The Only Time that Holes in Your Lawn Are a Good Thing
The aerating process can look a little messy. Well, you are putting holes into your lawn. But that’s the point. Those pockets are needed so that the oxygen can get down into the roots. For the best results, the aerated plug should be 4-5 centimetres deep and 1 to 2 centimetres in diameter.
There are several tools available to help with the aeration from the spike aerator, where you poke holes into the ground to the plug aerator which removes the plugs completely from the hole.
If you are overseeding, we recommend leaving the removed plugs in your lawn. We find that these plugs tend to break down over the seed and create the perfect bed for the seeds to germinate in.
Steps to a Well Aerated Lawn:
Water your lawn the night before or aerate the day after it has rained.
Determine the path that you will take when aerating your lawn to make sure that all the ground is covered. Spend extra time in the areas that are high traffic as these are the spaces where the soil will be heavily compacted.
Once complete, leave the excavated soil plugs exactly where they are. Once dry, these plugs provide the perfect foundation for new seeds to grow in.
Continue with your lawn care process: watering, mowing and fertilizing your lawn as needed.
Almost every lawn can benefit from annual aeration. However; high traffic areas, new constructions, and lawns that easily dry out are typically at an increased risk for compacted soil and thatch build-up.
Need some help? Our team at Earth Elements are available for both lawn consultations and to get your lawn spring ready including aeration, top dressing and over seeding.
